You can sponsor this page

Xiphister atropurpureus (Kittlitz, 1858)

Black prickleback
Add your observation in Fish Watcher
Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050
This map was computer-generated and has not yet been reviewed.
Xiphister atropurpureus   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
Upload your photos and videos
 Pictures | Google image
Image of Xiphister atropurpureus (Black prickleback)
Xiphister atropurpureus
Picture by Hopkins Seaside Laboratory

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Perciformes/Zoarcoidei (Eelpouts and pricklebacks) > Stichaeidae (Pricklebacks) > Xiphisterinae
Etymology: Xiphister: Greek, xiphos = armed with sword (Ref. 45335).

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; demersal; depth range 8 - 12 m (Ref. 51666). Subtropical; 59°N - 27°N, 156°W - 114°W

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Eastern Pacific: Kodiak Island, Alaska to Rio Santo Tomas, northern Baja California, Mexico.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 30.5 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 4925)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 65 - 73; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 40 - 52. Caudal rounded; pectorals as minute flaps (Ref. 6885). Dark reddish brown to black with head pale enough to display 3 dark light-edged bands radiating from each eye; light band sometimes prominent across base of caudal fin and extending on dorsal and anal fins (Ref. 6885).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Facultative air-breathing (Ref. 126274); Juveniles and adults inhabit intertidal areas down to 8 m depth (Ref. 2850); Individuals to 2 cm in length have been taken from surface waters (Ref. 6885). Found under rocks and in gravel areas (Ref. 2850). May remain out of water under rocks or seaweed (Ref. 31184). Breathe air (Ref. 31184) and can stay out of water for 10-23 hours if kept moist (Ref. 51276). Oviparous, eggs are laid in several clumps or masses which are guarded by the male (Ref. 58332).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

Eggs are laid in several clumps or masses which are guarded by the male (Ref. 58332).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Eschmeyer, W.N., E.S. Herald and H. Hammann, 1983. A field guide to Pacific coast fishes of North America. Boston (MA, USA): Houghton Mifflin Company. xii+336 p. (Ref. 2850)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Not Evaluated 

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet compositions
Food consumptions
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
Population dynamics
Growths
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversions
Recruitments
Abundances
Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturities
Fecundities
Spawnings
Spawning aggregations
Egg(s)
Egg developments
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Distribution
Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
BRUVS - Videos
Anatomy
Gill areas
Brains
Otoliths
Physiology
Body compositions
Nutrients
Oxygen consumptions
Swimming type
Swimming speeds
Visual pigment(s)
Fish sounds
Diseases / Parasites
Toxicities (LC50s)
Genetics
Genetics
Electrophoreses
Heritabilities
Human related
Aquaculture systems
Aquaculture profiles
Strains
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.
Outreach
Collaborators
Taxonomy
Common names
Synonyms
Morphology
Morphometrics
Pictures
References
References

Tools

E-book | Field guide | Length-frequency wizard | Life-history tool | Point map | Classification Tree | Catch-MSY |

Special reports

Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

Download XML

Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | Public aquariums | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 8.9 - 14, mean 10.1 °C (based on 169 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.7500   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00389 (0.00180 - 0.00842), b=3.12 (2.94 - 3.30), in cm total length, based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  2.5   ±0.2 se; based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (tm=2.5; Fec=1,700).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Low vulnerability (21 of 100).